# How TrueKnow checks if a photo or video is AI-generated

TrueKnow is a free web tool at https://trueknowapp.com that checks whether a photo or video is real or AI-generated. It runs provenance, archive matching, forensic diagnostics, and independent AI classifiers. It will not label a real photo as AI-generated. When evidence conflicts, it returns Uncertain.

## What you do

1. Upload a photo or video, or paste a link.
2. TrueKnow runs provenance, archive matching, forensic diagnostics, and independent AI classifiers.
3. You get a confidence score, a short explanation, and Uncertain when the evidence conflicts. You can tap Explain this result for a longer walkthrough of the same analysis.

## What you get after a check

A result is Real, AI Generated, AI Modified, or Uncertain. You see the evidence behind it, an Analysis ID, and a shareable card. You can tap Explain this result for a longer walkthrough of the same analysis. It does not change the verdict. You can download a report. Video is checked on the homepage. A public vote is saved until we confirm. It does not change the detector by itself.

## What we check

- Content credentials and hidden origin marks when a camera or generator left them.
- A database of known real and known AI items, including cropped or reframed copies.
- Compression, texture, and how the file was saved.
- Independent AI classifiers when cheaper checks are inconclusive.
- Where the same file appears online.

## What we will not do

- Call a real photo AI-generated.
- Guess when signals conflict.
- Claim this is legal or forensic proof.

## Limits

- This is a visual analysis only. TrueKnow does not analyze audio.
- Results are probabilistic. The confidence score is an estimate, not a guarantee.
- Brand-new or unseen AI content may come back Uncertain. That is the honest result, not a failure.
- Heavy cropping, screenshots, and re-sharing can still hide signals and often lower certainty.
- This is not a substitute for expert review, and it is not legal or forensic evidence.

## Privacy

We analyze. We do not keep a photo library. Full policy: https://trueknowapp.com/privacy